Monday, March 07, 2011

Suffer Ring

I dropped by my favorite LHBS a couple days ago. After I purchased what I came for, I thought it would be silly not to visit Dry Dock Brewing Company next door for a pint. At the Dry Dock, I was sitting at the bar minding my own business when some delivery guy asked the bartender if she knew what the 3 rings of marriage are.

She knew engagement ring and wedding ring. She didn't know the third.

He told her that the 3 rings were

Engagement Ring

Wedding Ring

Suffer Ring (suffering)

The delivery guy laughed heartily at his own joke. The bartender chuckled, politely. I couldn't help it; I smiled.

The delivery guy pointed at me and said, "This guys knows it!".
"No comment," I laughed.
"No comment is the same as giving a comment," he said wisely.

I had to admit that he was correct. It would have been rude to argue with such a jolly fellow. Whether or not it's true (I'm sticking to the "no comment" on that one), it is funny. Not LMAO or ROTFL funny or maybe even not LOL funny, but funny none-the-less.

By the way. The pint I had was a U-Boat Hefeweizen. Am I the only one who doesn't really think that a hefe smells or tastes like banana? I know that is the flavor / aroma usually associated with hefeweizens, but I've never really had one that reminded me in any way of bananas.

I do remember that the Beer Model, my brewing assistants, and I were having dinner with the Beer Model's cousin and his wife one time. For some reason, the subject of home-brewing came up. The Beer Model's cousin (let's call him "Jerry" so I don't have to keep typing "the Beer Model's cousin") is friends with his neighbor who just happens to be a home-brewer. Apparently the home-brewing friend had just shared a vanilla porter (actually several porters if I remember correctly) with Jerry and they both thought it was very good. Apparently they got to talking about what sort of cool, crazy, unique things might be used to flavor a beer and one thing Jerry and his friend came up with was using banana to flavor a porter.

The Beer Model (let's pretend her name is Tracy so I don't have to keep typing "Beer Model") crinkled up her nose and said "banana in a beer ... eweeeee" (or something very close to that). I gave her a quizzical look and asked her what she was drinking. You can probably guess the answer, but I'll tell you anyway. She was having a hefeweizen. I asked her for a taste because my own beer was getting empty (less full for you optimists out there) and I didn't know when the waitress would be back. I pretended to savor the beer flavor, handed Tracy back her glass and asked her if she knew what fruit flavor was most often associated with a hefeweizen.

"Banana?" she guessed correctly (that was the answer I was looking for). Tracy pretended to taste and savor her beer and said "Hey, I guess it does taste a little like banana. Maybe a banana porter would be awesome."

I don't know if I would like a banana porter or not. Like I wrote above, I don't really associated hefeweizens with banana. For me the whole point was to make fun of my wife and was an excuse to take some of her beer for me.